


What a CATch

by rebel_ren



Series: Drabbles Against Despair [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Adventures in catsitting, CATastrophe averted, Established Relationship, Grumpy Cat Church, M/M, They're littermates because I said so, chairman meow - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23190281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_ren/pseuds/rebel_ren
Summary: Magnus isn't planning to adopt one kitten, much less two. But his boyfriend is a veterinarian, so Magnus thinks Alec will be fine while he's away on a business trip. Alec's got everything under control... right?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Drabbles Against Despair [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666300
Comments: 12
Kudos: 131





	What a CATch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [intezaarlily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/intezaarlily/gifts).



> Prompt (from the lovely Lily): "In a similar theme of cute couples & cute animals, how about Malec and kittens?"
> 
> Well, this became quite a bit longer than a drabble or even a ficlet - LOL - but I had a lot of feelings about kitten siblings and adorable boyfriends. Hope you enjoy, Lily!
> 
> (Is anyone surprised I couldn't resist a punny title? ...Nope.)

This is terrible timing. Magnus has several upcoming business trips, and he's got a lot going on, and-

And none of that matters the instant the tiny grey and white ball of fur toddles over to him and clumsily butts his hand, looking for pets.

Magnus looks over at Alec, his boyfriend, who rolls his eyes fondly. Magnus knows he understands, though. After all, they met when Magnus was attempting to rescue a panicked elderly cat from a tree and Alec had helped without question. And in addition to volunteering at this shelter like Magnus, Alec's a veterinarian, so they share a mutual love of animals and a desire to give them good caring homes.

Alec chuckles and reaches down to pet the tiny furball as well, smiling softly at the rumbling purr that seems almost bigger than the kitten.

"You realise that you can't have one without the other..." Alec murmurs, and Magnus chuckles, looking over at the dark grey kitten off on his own in the corner. None of them had names yet, but Magnus thought his name should be Thundercloud because he was pretty much the cat-ification of one. He was smaller than the rest, the runt of the litter, but he made up for it in attitude. As much as a kitten could scowl, he did. Incessantly. And he was a prickly little creature, swiping at anyone or anything who came near with his needle-like claws.

Except one. His beautiful littermate, the one everyone's been gravitating towards. Magnus had known he was cute, but he hadn't expected to lose his heart so completely in a matter of minutes.

But one kitten is a lot with his schedule right now. How in the world can he take _two?_

It doesn't matter, though. Alec is right. Magnus would never think of separating the brothers.

Alec's shoulder nudges his own gently, and Magnus looks over to find his boyfriend smiling.

"It's okay," Alec says. "I'll help. I can watch them while you're gone."

Magnus smiles at him, at the kitten licking his palm with a sandpaper tongue. He even smiles at the little thundercloud scowling at him from the corner.

Today is a very good day.

-

It's been just under three weeks, and between kitten proofing his house and dealing with the reality of having pets, things have been about as chaotic as Magnus anticipated. Alec's been invaluable, especially when Magnus had begun stressing about being away from his precious darlings, who've been named Chairman Meow (a fantastically punny name Magnus is incredibly proud of) and Church, which Alec had chosen because he said Church's perpetual thundercloud expression matched Magnus' whenever anyone mentioned religion. It's silly, but it's stuck.

Generally speaking, Magnus is Alec's biggest fan, and when it comes to all things animal, Magnus is pretty convinced that Alec knows everything there is to know. He's great with Chairman, and even Church tolerates him more than anyone else.

So, much as Magnus has missed cuddles from his kittens and his boyfriend over the last few days, he knows he’s left them in good hands.

He sighs in contentment as he turns the key in the lock and pushes open his door, though.

It’s good to be home.

Magnus isn’t entirely surprised to hear Alec’s voice. They used to split their time pretty equally between his place and Alec’s, but since they got the kittens, they’ve spent most of their time here.

Still, he isn’t expecting to hear a low pleading murmur in the "I'm doing my best to be patient but I'm exasperated as hell" voice Alec generally only uses when he's at wits' end with his siblings.

Magnus puts down his bags and toes off his shoes, padding quietly into the open concept living/dining/kitchen area, not wanting to call out in case Alec's on the phone or something.

He turns toward the living area and stops, his jaw dropping open.

Alec is very decidedly not on the phone.

Alec seems to have pulled a chair in front of the bookcase and he's halfway between the chair and the tall bookcase that's propped against the wall, one foot on the seat of the chair, the other on one of the bookcase shelves.

Magnus' eyes travel up to the top of the bookcase, and then he understands. At the very edge of the tall bookcase, a tiny scowling kitten peers over the edge, fur on end in fright. Alec keeps talking in that soothing, pleading voice, reaching up for Church, who hisses and swipes at his hand.

Magnus takes it all in in a moment, then watches in horror as Alec begins to literally _climb_ the bookshelves.

"Alec, _no!_ " Magnus exclaims, halfway across the room before he realises he's in motion. It's a good thing too because, at the sound of Magnus' voice, Alec turns his head, startled, and loses his grip on the (dangerously wobbling) bookcase. Magnus moves even faster, managing to catch Alec as he topples backwards towards the floor. Alec's arms come up to encircle Magnus' neck instinctively as Magnus gets an arm under Alec's knees, another against his back.

For a moment, they just stare at each other, breathless and discombobulated in the sudden stillness.

"Umm... hi," Alec says.

"Hi yourself," Magnus replies, laughing as much in relief as amusement. The iron band that had tightened around his chest at the sight of Alec falling eases now, though Magnus can't help looking Alec over.

"I'm fine," Alec says, seemingly reading his mind. "Thanks to you..."

"Fuck, that was scary," Magnus says, his heart still racing. "Please don't do shit like that..."

"Well, I had to," Alec says, apparently unfazed by his near brush with death, which... is probably a little dramatic and sure, fine, okay, maybe Magnus is overreacting a _little,_ but he thinks it's pretty justified in this case.

"Church was confused and stressed and _scared,_ " Alec says, and Magnus' heart melts.

"Besides, it's not that different from last week, when I walked in here to find you half-concussed because you'd banged your head so hard while trying to crawl around under the bed and rescue Chairman from the dust bunnies," Alec points out, and Magnus pouts for a second because it _isn't_ the same at _all,_ but he's too logical not to admit that there are _certain_ similarities to the lengths they'll go to for these tiny balls of fluff that have taken over his life. Both of their lives, really, because, true to his word, Alec has helped every step of the way.

Magnus smiles at Alec. "Okay," he admits. "We're both a little foolish when it comes to our precious furbabies..."

Alec chuckles and leans in, and Magnus smiles as he kisses him.

“Welcome home, Ma-” Alec cuts off his whispered greeting with a grunt. Magnus feels a shift in weight and pulls away from the kiss in confusion only to start laughing at the sight of Church, who’d apparently overbalanced and tumbled off the bookcase.

Now, Church is on Alec’s stomach, his limbs splayed out around him, blinking up at them both in grumpy confusion as though he has no idea how he ended up there, but he knows it must be their fault _somehow._

Alec laughs too, then winces when Church starts kneading his abs. Magnus winces in sympathy, knowing exactly how sharp the claws are that live between those cute toe beans, then chuckles. “Apparently, someone was lonely,” Magnus says as Chairman leaps from the chair seat up to one of the shelves of the bookcase, running along it to leap onto Alec’s stomach, joining his brother with a far more graceful landing.

Alec laughs and rests his head on Magnus’ shoulder, moving one hand down to run a fingertip light over the edge of Church’s ear. Church growls softly, but for once, he doesn’t attack, just contents himself with licking his paws and curling up on Alec’s stomach.

Deciding that, much as he loves his furbabies and his amazing boyfriend, the three of them together are far too heavy to be standing around _holding_ for extended periods of time, Magnus moves over to the (thankfully close) couch and gets them all settled onto it with as little upheaval as he can manage.

Magnus sighs and smiles at Alec, then down at the kittens wrestling in their laps.

“Welcome home,” Alec says, chuckling. “Not what I’d planned for tonight, but it’s still nice to have you back.”

Magnus laughs. “I don’t need anything fancy. Just you and these two furry disasters,” he says dryly, watching Chairman chase his own tail.

“You love them,” Alec says with a grin, giving Church his thumb to lick and worry at.

“I do,” Magnus says, smiling at the sight of the three of them together. “I really, really do.” He sighs happily, soaking in the feeling of their shared space, familiar and comfortable.

“It’s good to be home,” Magnus whispers as he leans in to kiss Alec, soft and sweet.


End file.
